


Christian's Glasses

by orphan_account



Category: EastEnders
Genre: Happily Ever After series, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 06:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christian doesn't particularly like the side effects of growing older. Syed does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christian's Glasses

It was all Afia's fault. At least that's what Syed had heard Christian mutter after this whole thing had started. Afia who had rolled up in Birmingham out of the blue when Tamwar just happened to be visiting. Well wasn't that a coincidence?

Syed had suggested to Christian that maybe they could all go over to Amira's together instead of just taking Yasmin. Christian had given Syed a sharp look and said he'd rather eat dirt.

“Don't you want them to get back together?”

“Well, yeah, but not in our house.”

“Where else are they going to go?”

“Do you remember what happened last time we left them alone? Brighton, sex marathon weekend, ring any bells?”

“For them or for us?”

“Don't you have a problem with the thought of your brother having sex, Sy?”

“With his wife? No, I'm happy that he's happy and he's happy with Afia. Please, Christian. The kids would love it, Amira and us, we can even call Shabnam. Everyone together.”

It was the thought of the kids that had finally persuaded Christian to play along and after they got back Afia had suggested moving her things downstairs to sleep on the sofa bed with Tam, instead of taking up Yasmin's room.

Syed and Christian had shared a look and agreed which was how, two days later Afia was still around when Christian had a rare moment to sit down and catch up with his magazines. Yasmin was at nursery, Mikky was with his Mum and Syed was pretending to potter in the kitchen but was really watching Christian from the doorway as he squinted and held the magazine out in front of him.

“I swear, they've done something to this writing,” Christian complained to himself. “Sy!”

Syed appeared in the doorway, watching his husband fondly. “Yes, husband?”

Christian looked up at his other half, still thin as a rake and in the first flush of youth. Well, he had the odd grey hair now but that didn't count, not for Sy. “Nothing,” Christian groused, sighing as he tried to make sense of the blur on the page. It had been like this for a while now and nothing seemed to help.

“Is it your eyes again?”

“Can you read that?” Christian replied, instead of answering the question.

“I'm pretty sure its exactly the same as every other Attitude magazine you have ever bought, Christian.”

“You know I don't know why even I asked you, you just perve at the pictures.”

“Isn't that what they're for?” Syed laughed.

Christian shook his head. “How you passed as straight for twenty-odd years I'll never know.”

“By learning to perve subtley. Oh, hi Afia!” Syed acknowledged his sister-in-law as she came into the room. “Everything ok?”

“Great!” She enthused. The smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes told both men that everything was definitely ok.

“Tamwar joining us?” Syed asked mildly.

“He's in the shower. Christian, are you alright?”

“Its the writing,” Syed explained. “There's something wrong with it, apparently.”

“Or maybe you need glasses?” Afia suggested with a grin. “Grandpa.”

“I do not need...!” Christian held the magazine out in frustration, determined to make the thing work and make sense.

“I've been trying to tell him for weeks,” Syed smiled at his husband having yet another moment. First it was the freak out over the belly and now the glasses. Syed didn't care but he knew Christian did and it made the heart grow fonder of his silly husband.

“Take it from the former optometrist's assistant,” Afia said, “You need glasses.”

 

An afternoon and a trip to Specsavers later and Christian had them. A small chrome-framed pair of reading glasses that Christian loathed with a passion. He'd only given in cause Syed said they were sexy but Christian knew even that was just flattery. If there was one sign you were getting old, past the struggle to keep off the weight, it was needing glasses. That night as he lay squinting in bed trying to make sense of his book, Syed pushed the glasses into Christian's hand and then lay with his head propped up on the pillow watching his husband read. The attention made Christian feel self-conscious and he took them off and put out the light. 

Even though it was dark, with the book set down Syed made sure Christian knew that he loved him. 

In the morning both lay tangled and satiated and didn't want to get up to go pick up the kids.

From then on every time Christian would start reading something – paperwork at the gym or the kids bedtime story at home – Syed seemed to be pushing those blasted glasses into his husband's hands. Christian hated them and everything they stood for. They made him feel old. Syed tried to tell Christian the glasses would help him but Christian seemed determined to be in a strop about it and after a while, Syed decided to let him.

 

It was a week later. A week later to the day. Christian was sitting in the living room once more trying to read Attitude magazine. Yas was at nursery, Mikky was with Zainab. Tamwar and Afia had gone home and Syed was pottering in the kitchen or at least pretending, while he watched Christian reading in his glasses. At one point, standing leaning against the kitchen doorway in his 'chief cook and bottle washer' apron, Syed lost himself for a moment watching his husband. He'd married Christian Clarke and the man was his Husband and right here. 

Just at that moment Christian looked up and met Syed's eyes.

Syed's eyelashes flickered. He looked away awkwardly, caught staring. Christian just stared back and finally saw. Not just saw but saw. Saw that look. The look Syed had worn when they'd kissed for the first time, the look Syed had worn when they'd made love on the bare floor of an empty flat on Syed's birthday, the look Syed had worn when Christian held him in his arm in the wreckage of the Argee Bhajee. 

Christian took off the glasses slowly.

Syed swallowed.

“You alright?” Christian asked innocently.

“What? Yeah. Nothing. Sorry.”

Christian nodded and put the glasses back on with a sweep of his hand. He pretended to go back to his magazine, feeling Syed watch him. Sexy. Syed thought the glasses were sexy? Christian thought they made him look like old father time but if Syed liked them...

Syed saw Christian look up at him, glasses still on. 

 

They ended up an hour later on the floor leaning against the sofa, Syed cradled in Christian's arms. Neither was wearing a lot. Syed was wearing his socks. Christian was wearing his glasses.

“Why didn't you say something?” Christian's voice rumbled, his hands meandering around Syed's warm chest.

Syed melted into the touch. “I don't know. I guess I figured you needed to work this out on your own.”

Christian held Syed a little tighter. Syed felt Christian press a cheek against his. The metal leg of the frames pressed into Syed's cheek.

 

Curiously, Christian always wore his glasses after that. Sometimes even to read.


End file.
